Mindy Brashears was nominated to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which regulates beef and pork products. Dr. Brashears holds multiple patents related to meat decontamination and has ties to the industry. American Oversight submitted a FOIA request to investigate to whether Dr. Brashears had previous contact with the USDA related to her intellectual property or her relationships with such industry groups.